The Moonstone and the Wisdom Well
by CrypticGirl
Summary: Valter has a plan to lure in Princess Eirika involving a certain sage from the mountains. Meanwhile, when Saleh goes to buy a gift for Gerik's birthday, he winds up in more trouble than he had anticipated.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters within.

**Author's Note:** Sorry for such a short prologue, but I needed a little setup for the main story. It'll get more interesting later, I'm sure.

**Prologue**

It was a day just like any other. Gerik's troop had completed their mercenary work for the day. They had set up camp in a forest clearing, with a large bonfire and several tents surrounding it at a safe distance. Tethys was dancing for her teammates while they watched eagerly, clapping lightly here and there.

Meanwhile, Saleh sat by the bonfire, not paying much attention to the performance. Rather, he was deep in his meditation, his Valega.

After Tethys finished her dancing, Gerik went over to the bonfire, sitting next to Saleh.

"Yo, Saleh. You missed a great dance."

Saleh gave him a casual glance. "I know. I've just...been thinking."

"Thinking? About what?"

"Well...tomorrow is your birthday, is it not?"

Gerik grinned at that. "Hey, you actually remembered! You surprise me, Saleh!"

"Why would I not remember? A birthday is a celebration of life. It's an important event, I would think."

Ewan popped up next to Saleh, sitting next to him. "So what kind of presents are you going to get this year, Commander Gerik?"

Gerik stroked his chin. "Aye, that's a tough one. I don't think there's anything I really need."

There's a pause before he added, "Then again, I could use a new sword. Mine's getting kind of rusty."

Saleh glanced at him, an idea coming to mind. He had been mulling about what to get for Gerik's birthday, but he was never good with gifts. A new sword would be perfect for him.

"Ah, well, I'll pick one up tomorrow, since we're not doing anything," Gerik went on.

"You mean you're not doing _anything_ for your birthday?" Ewan asked, surprised.

"Oh, well, I meant as far as work goes," Gerik told him. "Of course we're gonna have a little party, have a few drinks, and just relax for the day. That's gonna be my birthday gift to everyone. They work and fight hard; they deserve a break."

"A few drinks?" Ewan asked.

"I think...I'll pass," Saleh mused.

"Oh, right," Gerik said. "Don't worry, I'll bring something non-alcoholic for both of you, so don't you worry."

"All right!" Ewan cheered. "Tethys would scold me if she caught me drinking."

"Speaking of which, it looks like Tethys is about to start dancing again..." Gerik stood up and began to leave to watch her performance.

Saleh stood up as well, calling out after him. "Gerik?"

Gerik stopped, facing the sage. "Yes?"

"Your party is tomorrow, correct?"

"Of course."

"Very well, I'll be there," Saleh said, with a small smile.

However, Gerik frowned. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"There is something I must take care of. I will return, I promise."

"All right, I'll see you then." Gerik returned to the spot to watch Tethys begin her new dance.

From there, Saleh slipped away from the camp silently.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was late in the afternoon when Saleh arrived at the armory and stepped inside. The armory was oddly empty, as the owner was the only person occupying the room.

"Good day, sir," he greeted. "You're just in time. I was getting ready to close for the night. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, hello..." Saleh returned the greeting. "I'm looking for a sword for a friend of mine. His birthday is tomorrow."

"I see. We have several categories for our swords." The shopkeeper walked out from behind the counter, moving over to the section where the swords were on display. There were several styles of swords available. The shopkeeper went over the models, explaining them. "These swords are best suited for swordfighters and swordmasters. Here, we have swords commonly used by knights. Thieves and rogues usually use these short swords. Mercenary swords are a big larger and heavier. Now, what type of sword does your friend wield?"

"He is a mercenary," Saleh told him. "Perhaps you've heard of him? He is known as the Desert Tiger."

"You're friends with the famous Desert Tiger?" The shopkeeper sounded ecstatic. "I actually have the custom sword he ordered a while back. I was wondering when he'd come to pick it up. Would you deliver it to him for me?"

Well, this made choosing a sword so much easier, for which Saleh was grateful. "Oh yes, I'd be glad to," he replied with a serene smile.

"Excellent. I'll get it right away; I'll be right back."

The shopkeeper turned and went into the room behind the counter. Retrieving the custom sword was easy enough. He had it on a shelf, stored in a long, brown box. Picking it up, he turned and began to walk into the other room...until he heard some heavy footsteps that were clearly not his own. He turned again, carefully stepping in the direction of the footsteps.

"Is someone there?"

There was no verbal response. Instead, a man with tangled green hair and large armor stepped out of the shadows with a twisted smirk.

"Who are you?" the shopkeeper demanded.

The man's smirk only grew wider. "The one you fear."

Without warning, he plunged his spear through the shopkeeper's stomach. There was no time to scream; the shopkeeper could only let out a sharp gasp, which would be his final breath as he collapsed to the floor with a thud, dropping the box beside him.

Meanwhile, Saleh waited patiently for the shopkeeper's return, browsing over the different weapons on display. He picked up a rapier, which reminded him of Princess Eirika. The thought of getting a sword for her birthday crossed his mind...but then he realized that he needed something more...personal. Well, he'd worry about that when the time came.

Just then, there was a loud pounding sound at the shop's entrance door. Startled, the sage turned sharply to face the door, but the room had gone silent as fast as the sound had came. He then heard a few soft thuds from the back room, which now grabbed his attention. This was too odd to be a coincidence.

_What's happening?_

He'd better see what's going on. The shopkeeper should have returned by now. Cautiously, Saleh stepped behind the counter and pushed the door open. The creaking sound seemed ear-splitting within the silence of the shop.

"Is everything all right?" the sage called softly.

His heart jumped as he caught sight of the shopkeeper on the floor with the bloody gash in his torso.

_Great Dragon!_ Saleh quickly rushed over, kneeling down beside him, but he knew it was already too late. Even if the shopkeeper were still clinging to life, Saleh currently had no staff to heal him with.

"Oh, it's simply _terrible_," a voice whimpered from the shadows, mocking sympathy. The owner of the voice then stepped into the light, the one who had so brutally stabbed the shopkeeper. "I came to see what the commotion was about, but I'm afraid I arrived too late."

Saleh glanced up, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the man. General Valter of Grado, also known as the Moonstone. Saleh was well aware of his bloodlust and his insanity. Valter had developed quite a reputation for it, moreso than for simply being one of the greatest generals of Grado.

"You did this." It was a statement, not a question. Saleh could easily see through the Moonstone's lies; there was no need to question it.

Valter only grinned at the accusation. "They said you were a sharp one. The reports have been quite accurate. But yes, it was I who struck him down. And you're next!"

He pointed the bloody head of his spear in Saleh's direction. Saleh stood slowly, pondering his options, quickly concluding that it was far too dangerous to use his magic in such a cramped space. So he fled from the backroom, dashing to the shop's entrance...but that was as far as he got. As he pulled on the door, he found that it would not open. He jerked repeatedly on the knob, but to no avail. He paused, giving in to his exhaustion, thinking back to the noises he had heard. The pounding on the door...something must have jammed the door shut. Saleh stepped back, glancing at the different weapons on display. Perhaps he could use an axe to break through the door...but before he could go for them, he heard Valter's heavy footsteps approaching.

"The little sage from the mountains. Oh dear, is the door locked? Such a pity."

"General Valter..." Saleh glanced at the axes, which were, unfortunately, on display in the back of the shop. Which means that Saleh would have to get past Valter to reach them. He stepped aside from the door, then turned to face Valter, watching and gauging his move carefully.

Valter wiped a bit of blood from his spear with his index finger and licked it. The Moonstone had always been one for extravagent theatrics. "I was told that you were one of Princess Eirika's companions. Her paramour, perhaps...or was that her brother? Reports differ.

"Regardless..." His lips split in a sick grin. "If you were to be captured, that would force her to come scurrying to me, wouldn't it? Perhaps she might even offer herself up for your release. Wouldn't that be just _grand_?"

Saleh backed away from him slowly, reaching into his cloak for his Thunder tome. Valter was a tough opponent on wyvernback, but it would be difficult to tell how he fights without his wyvern. Wyverns were weak against magic, but for Valter himself, his armor looked thick enough to repel it.

This wasn't good at all. Knowing Princess Eirika, she probably would offer herself up for Saleh's release. So to that end, he couldn't let himself get caught here. He couldn't let Eirika fall into Valter's trap.

"You're still pursuing her? Leave her be. What is your business with her?"

"My business with her is none of your concern. Suffice it to say that she and her brother are to be my greatest trophies." Valter pointed the lance in Saleh's direction. "You are nothing but a stepping stone on my path to finishing this hunt. Be a good boy and surrender, will you? A maggot like you isn't worth exerting myself over."

"Valter..." Saleh trailed off, pondering the difficult choice. His blood ran cold as he realized that trying to fight the wyvern general would surely result in being captured. Still, he didn't want to surrender so easily. He needed to buy time, just enough to break out of the shop and run for it.

"And if I refuse?"

"I need you _alive_ to lure Eirika in." Valter's grin widened. "I never said you needed to be _intact_."

"I see..." Regardless, Saleh needed to be intact if he was going to make his escape. The best thing to do would be to go along with him, at least until the door was opened. So with his decision made, Saleh slowly tucked his spell tome away, holding up his hands.

"Very well...you win."

"Oh?" Valter's brow furrowed with suspicion. "That was disappointing. I'd hoped for at least a bit of resistance. Ah well. Now then, put the tome on the ground, slowly."

"Forgive me, but I do not believe it is worth the risk to fight a hopeless battle."

Upon the order, Saleh drew his Thunder tome once more. He paused as he looked over it for a moment, as if to mourn its loss. Then, keeping an eye on Valter, he slowly knelt down, placing the tome on the floor, and then stood up again.

"Excellent." With a snakelike lunge, Valter stabbed the lancepoint through the end of the tome on the ground, spearing right through the cover and lifting it up. He pulled it back to his hand, opening the ruined cover and tearing a fistful of pages out of the book. From a pouch at his side, he produced a pair of shackles.

"Hold out your arms."

Saleh flinched slightly as his spellbook was pierced. But it was okay, he thought. The tome can be easily replaced after he gets out of this predicament. When he saw the shackles, however, he hesitated for a moment. He looked away as he pondered; his eyes bat down, and he caught sight of the end of his cape. Somehow his cape could be of use. His face expressionless, he returned his attention to Valter, slowly holding out his arms.

"Good, good." With a sinister smirk, Valter snapped the shackles onto Saleh's wrists.

Saleh couldn't resist the urge to pull on them, or attempt to pluck them off somehow, but the shackles held firm. A chill raced down his spine as he tried not to let his anxiousness show. The situation was becoming more bleak by the minute. It was getting harder to maintain his composure.

Valter reached out, gripping Saleh's upper arm, leading him to the door. He paused briefly to raise his leg and kicked the door, violently sending it flying open. Then he moved Saleh in front of him, pushing him through the doorway with a rough shove.

Saleh stumbled forward, planting his hands on the ground to break his fall, then straightened himself.

"Easy! There's no need to be so rough."

"Move." Valter shoved him again, more lightly this time.

Saleh began to move forward on his own, but stopped when he noticed the large wyvern mount ahead. Valter gave him yet another push, but Saleh still held his ground.

"Go ahead and mount," the Moonstone ordered. "We'll fly to an open but secluded spot where I can lure in my prey."

Saleh looked up apprehensively at the wyvern, taking a step back. "I...I'd rather not..."

"Go." Valter gave a sharp command, pressing the sharp point of his spear into Saleh's back, prompting a grunt of pain from the sage.

That's when Saleh decided that it was time. If he was going to make a move, it was now or never.

With his bound hands, he gripped the corner of his cape and swung it upward, laying it over Valter's face, obstructing his vision.

"Aargh!" Valter growled in frustration, blindly swinging his lance at an upward angle. Saleh ducked under it, running around behind Valter, his cape slipping off the wyvern general's face. By the time Valter regained his vision and balance, Saleh was already running behind the village houses.

Valter didn't pursue right away. He simply stood, glaring in the direction where Saleh had fled. Soon, that glare turned into a smirk. So the little sage had some fight in him after all. This could be interesting.

"Go!" Valter raised his arm, calling out to the wyvern behind him. "Scour the area! Find him!"

The wyvern shrieked in response as it flapped its wings, taking off into the air. Valter began to walk back towards the village. As much as he would enjoy the hunt, he would not let his prey escape.

Saleh ran as fast as he could in between the houses. The sun had mostly set by now, so the village was dimly illuminated with what few rays remained. Saleh didn't have any destination in mind; his only focus was to get as far away from the wyvern general as possible, and hopefully throw him off track. It wasn't too long before he began to feel fatigued, however. He pressed on a little further until the burning in his legs and chest became unbearable. Stopping behind a house and pressing his back against the wall, he began to catch his breath. He listened carefully for any trace of Valter, but all he heard was complete silence. Relaxing a bit, Saleh glanced down at the shackles binding his wrists. He had to get them off somehow...but he would need help. At least, for the time being, they wouldn't hinder him too much. He could get Gerik to cut them off the next time they meet.

Still not quite convinced that Valter had given up, Saleh carefully peeked around the corner of the house. Nothing. Slowly, the sage slid over to the other corner. Just as he was about to peek around it, a fierce gust of wind suddenly blew on him. He held his arms in front of his face as the wyvern landed in front of him, shrieking out for its master. The wyvern lunged towards Saleh with his head, snapping its jaws at him. Saleh stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. As the jaws continued to snap at him, Saleh scrambled to his feet and dashed through the village again. The wyvern gave another cry before taking to the air once more.

Seconds later, Valter arrived behind the house, stopping for a moment. He smirked once again. He may have missed his prey, but the wyvern was hot on his trail. Valter didn't mind letting Saleh run a little while longer. As far as he was concerned, the prey had already been caught. It was simply a matter of choosing to end the hunt. With another smirk, Valter began to walk farther into the village, following the cries of the wyvern.

Farther and farther, Saleh pressed on. The forest was getting closer and closer up ahead, but he couldn't risk getting lost out there in the darkness. So he attempted a zigzag path through the village in an attempt to throw the predators off his trail. However, that method proved to be quite ineffective. As he ran, he felt another violent gust of wind from behind, causing him to lose his balance and crash face-first to the ground. The wyvern's shriek filled the air once again as it flew overhead. Soon, the echoes of the shriek and the sound of the flapping wings faded into silence.

Saleh remained on the ground to catch his breath once again. This was certainly one of his rare terrified moments. What was going on? If the wyvern was flying after him on its own, where was its rider? Probably searching elsewhere in the village...or heading straight for him.

Panic set in as Saleh realized how vulnerable he was on the ground in the open. He rolled onto his back to take one more look around, but upon doing so, a large figure stood over him, aiming the tip of his spear directly at the sage's throat. He immediately froze, staring up in disbelief for a few seconds. Before he could get up, the figure lifted his armored boot and pressed it down on his upper body. Saleh gasped at the painful pressure being forced upon his chest and torso.

"V-Valter..."

"Begging for your life?" Valter asked with his sadistic grin. "Don't worry, I don't have any reason to kill you...yet. For the moment, I'm quite content with watching you struggle."

Unfortunately, struggling was the only thing Saleh _could_ do, as the pressure on his body made it difficult to breathe. His struggles ranged from trying to lift the Moonstone's heavy foot off of him, to trying to slide out from underneath it. No matter what he did, his struggles were useless, and his consciousness began to blur from the lack of air.

Valter simply watched him in pure wicked delight. "You should see yourself. Do you have any idea what you look like right now?"

Saleh glanced up at him helplessly. "W-What...?"

Valter gave him another sick grin. "Your consciousness is fading, and yet you struggle to hold on. The look on your face, your gasps for breath...your desperate, helpless struggle is so invigorating."

"Ahh..." Saleh let out a pathetic cry as his head fell limp, still weakly trying to push Valter's foot off him. "Get...off..."

Valter tilted his head as he looked down condescendingly at the sage. "As much as I'd love to continue watching you, I do believe it's time to end this hunt." He slid the broad side of his spear head ever so gently across Saleh's face. "Sleep."

Saleh cringed as he felt the weapon sliding across his face. At that moment, he completely blacked out, his body falling limp underneath Valter's armored boot. Valter kept his foot on him for a few more seconds before he finally let up. Now that his prey had been rendered unconscious, it was time to proceed with the next phase.

As if on cue, the wyvern returned, landing on the ground a few feet away. Valter knelt down, picking up Saleh's unconscious body and slinging him over his shoulder. Finally, he mounted the wyvern, and flew away from the village.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: This chapter contains a little bit of torture, so if that makes you uncomfortable, I'd advise you to turn back now.**_

Chapter 2

The most difficult part of Valter's plan was waiting for his target to arrive. Renais wasn't too far away, perhaps a few hours on horseback. Valter had already sent a messenger with the ultimatum, to show up in order to save Saleh's life. So he was certain that she was already on her way. Now he just had to pass the time until then. Fortunately, he had his captive to help him do just that.

When Saleh began to come around, he slowly took in the morning light. It took a few moments for him to regain his focus. He found himself on his feet, his arms spread above him and tied to the trees on either side of him. His ankles were also spread slightly and tied to the trees on either side of him. Clenching his fists, he pulled on all of his limbs, testing the strength of his restraints. As expected, they were inescapable.

"So, awake at last," Valter greeted as he casually walked over to the sage. "You might be happy to know that Princess Eirika should be on her way here as we speak. She and I will duel, and I will take her head as a trophy. Her brother Ephraim will be next. I expect that both of them will give me a fight to remember."

Saleh's eyes widened briefly. Then he turned his eyes away, his fingers flexing absent-mindedly, a pained expression on his face.

_Princess Eirika...don't come..._ he thought, despite already knowing how futile it was. He felt so guilty, that she would place herself in danger for him. If something happened to her as a result of this, it would be his fault. The burden of guilt was never an easy thing for him to bear. All he could do was put his faith in her strength.

Valter raised his spear, pressing the sharp point under Saleh's chin, though not hard enough to draw blood. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

Saleh gave him a glare before carefully pulling his head away from the spear. "Words are wasted on you, Valter."

Valter grinned. "You may be right about that. You need not speak if you don't wish to. I know how it galls you." He gripped Saleh's chin tightly. "It's written all over your face."

It took a little more effort for Saleh to wriggle out of Valter's grip. "What are you planning? You've done a lot of work to restrain me like this."

"Yes, and there's a reason for it. You see, it'll be at least a few hours before Princess Eirika arrives. So what say we have some fun in the meantime?"

Saleh gave him a sideways glance. "And what exactly does your 'fun' entail?"

Valter reached up, taking hold of the front of Saleh's cape, stroking the fabric with his thumb. "Oh, I think you know that without asking."

That was more than enough to confirm Saleh's suspicion that Valter had some sort of torture in mind. Valter let go of the cape and slowly moved around behind the sage. In a sudden motion, he grabbed the cape at the shoulder and ripped it off with a single yank. Saleh's entire body tensed up at the yank.

Valter moved back in front of his captive. "By the way, I couldn't help overhearing part of your little conversation with that shopkeeper. So you're friends with the famous Desert Tiger, eh?"

Saleh only widened his eyes in response, but it was confirmation enough for Valter.

"Maybe, once I'm through with Renais's royal brats, I'll lure in the Desert Tiger next. I might as well, since I already have you. And then...ah...he has another strong woman in his little troop, doesn't he?"

"Marisa..." Saleh muttered the name with a quivering voice, feeling sick to his stomach at the notion of being used to target his friends in this manner.

"Is that her name?" Valter tapped his chin with his finger. "I heard she went by another name. The 'Crimson Flash', was it? Oh, she will be a 'Crimson Flash' after I'm finished with her."

Saleh knew exactly what he was talking about, visibly cringing at the thought. "You're...you're a monster..."

Valter flashed him a twisted grin. "Indeed. Emotions...pity, remorse, sorrow...they are but human weaknesses. I have no need for peace. I crave battle. The stronger the opponent, the better. Even the cries of the innocent fuel me. When I see them fall at my feet, it makes me feel alive."

"So...watching people die makes you feel alive?" Saleh could feel the anger rising with him. "Such a meaningless existance...it is no wonder why your heart is so empty."

"But that's what makes it fun. The thrill of the hunt itself. You cannot live without desire." Valter had no desire to listen to Saleh's sentimental rubbish, so he moved on. "And then we have you, my little sage. Most magic users aren't very strong...but you're different, aren't you?"

Saleh looked up at him, somewhat intimidated. What was this mad beast planning to do with him? "H-How so? I am human...no different from the others."

"You live in the mountains. Caer Pelyn is quite a rugged territory with harsh winters. Most people wouldn't even survive such terrible conditions. And yet you live there quite comfortably. It has made you strong...or at the very least, resilient." The Moonstone leaned in closer to his captive. "What say we find out just how resilient you are, hmm?"

Saleh felt a cold chill running down his spine. The grimace on his face was quite clear as his body shivered with the chill, giving his restraints a few more tugs.

Valter smirked, relishing his victim's helplessness. "Mmm, yes, I thought the idea might excite you. Well, let's get started, shall we? It shouldn't be too much longer before Princess Eirika arrives..."

"Valter..." Saleh trailed off, trying to block out the dreadful thoughts of what the Moonstone was about to do to him, and the thoughts of pleading for mercy. He already knew how futile the latter would be. One thing he was confident in was his resilience, so he looked down, relaxing his body as much as he could, despite the discomfort of his position.

Valter made his way behind Saleh again, setting his spear up against a tree and pulling a dagger from his belt. He grabbed a handful of Saleh's hair, pulling his head back, and carefully gliding the blade down his cheek, again taking care not to draw blood. Saleh tried his hardest not to react, and yet he found himself cringing, holding in a grunt of pain as his hair was pulled, and breathing heavily as he felt the cold, sharp steel on his face. Valter moved the blade to Saleh's collar, pushing it outward until it pierced the fabric. He withdrew the blade and then grasped the collar from either side, ripping his shirt open all the way down the front.

"What...?" _What is he doing?_ Saleh wondered. He had almost asked aloud before stopping himself, not really wanting to know.

Valter continued, using the knife to cut the back of the collar at the top, and then ripping the shirt open from the back. He then cut both of the sleeves and pulled the shirt off completely, leaving the sage topless.

Saleh then began to understand why, with the sudden increased sense of vulnerability he felt upon having his top removed. The vulnerability, as well as the increased pain of any physical torture that would be inflicted directly on his bare skin. His eyes widened again as he looked down at himself before forcing himself to look forward, still keeping his eyes down.

"Well, this is interesting..." Valter then removed his armored gauntlets, looking over the sage's upper body. "So it is true. I always thought that mages had scrawny, puny bodies, but yours is different. Your body is firm, toned...it's from all of your mountain hiking, isn't it?"

Saleh turned his head back slightly. "Wh...why are you looking at my...?"

Valter grinned once again, his gaze focus on Saleh's back. "Oh, I'll do more than just look..."

He reached out, using two fingers to trail up Saleh's spine. Saleh's body tingled at the light touch, causing him to tremble and groan, breathing heavily.

Valter tilted his head at the reaction. "Sensitive to the touch, are you? Interesting..."

Though it wasn't too surprising, given how Saleh had kept himself covered with his clothing. But it was certainly valuable information, something that could be put to good use later. Using pleasure as a form of torture was a very intriguing idea, but Valter would save that for another time, perhaps after he was through with the Renais twins. By that time, he will have inflicted enough physical pain to make Saleh's body even more sensitive to the lightest touch.

To that end, Valter moved on, moving in front of Saleh once again. He held up the knife, pausing for a moment before stepping forward, slowly making a deep cut on the left side of Saleh's chest. The sage threw his head back, groaning in agony.

"Ah, there's the sound I love," Valter taunted. "Sweet agony. Cry out for me again, will you?"

Saleh couldn't help but comply, crying out again as Valter began to make another cut on his chest with the knife...

That morning, in the Renais Castle courtyard, Eirika and Ephraim were in the middle of their routine sparring practice. Ephraim thrust his spear forward; Eirika parried with her rapier, but Ephraim twirled the spear in a circular motion, seeming to wrap the blade around it and wrench it out of Eirika's hand. The rapier flew up into the air and came down, the blade thrusting itself into the ground. Eirika sighed in disappointment.

"Eirika..." Ephraim stepped forward reassuringly.

"I know, I keep making the same mistake..." Eirika mused.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Ephraim rested a hand on her shoulder. "Swords aren't meant to best spears. But you'll overcome it, I know you will."

Eirika just sighed again, pondering and wondering just how to overcome the spear technique. "You're right..."

Just then, a wyvern flew over the courtyard, its massive wings whipping up the wind violently. When it landed, the rider dismounted, walking over to Eirika with a piece of paper.

"A message for you, Princess Eirika," he said. And without waiting for a response, he mounted the wyvern again and took to the air, flying away as quickly as it had arrived.

Eirika unfolded the paper to read the message, her eyes beginning to widen in both anger and horror.

_Princess Eirika,_

_I've captured your precious sage from the mountains. Meet me in the clearing two hours south of Renais Castle if you wish to see him alive again. And come alone._

_- Valter the Moonstone_

Despite the inner rage, Eirika calmly folded the paper again. "Master Saleh..."

"What is it, Eirika?" Ephraim asked. "Is it from Saleh?"

Eirika took a moment to respond, keeping her anger in check. "Yes..."

Ephraim gave her an odd look at that. He was her twin, so he knew that look on her face. "Are you sure?"

Of course Ephraim would know. Eirika could not keep a secret from him if she tried. But she had to. She had to do this alone. She had to go now, before her anger got the better of her.

"I have to go!" That was her only explanation as she quickly fled from the courtyard. Grabbing a brown sack from the castle, she jumped onto the horse and quickly galloped away to meet the challenge that awaited her.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Princess Eirika rode her horse as fast as she could, her sack slung over her shoulder.

"Master Saleh...please be safe..." she prayed, unable to imagine what Valter could be doing with him.

Meanwhile, Saleh was still spread out and tied between the two trees, his breaths rasping and shaking. His face expressed both pain and exhaustion. He wasn't looking Valter in the eyes anymore. All he wanted was to sleep, but he was aware that if he did so, he likely would not wake up.

"As I thought, you are a resilient man," Valter taunted. "Well, that's enough for now, I think. I'm very much looking forward to our next session."

Saleh looked up at him, his breathing gradually returning to normal. While he was relieved that the torture would stop for the moment, he was not looking forward to the next session. But surely it wouldn't be too long before Princess Eirika arrived. At least, part of him hoped so, but at the same time, he didn't want her to get involved at all.

Just then, they heard the galloping of the horse, gradually growing louder. Valter grinned as his target grew closer.

Eirika rode in, stopping her horse a good distance away and dismounting. "Valter!"

Valter turned to face her, taking a few steps forward. "I've been waiting for you, Princess Eirika."

"Princess..." Saleh's eyes widened, looking at her with a silent plea to be careful.

Eirika looked at Saleh in turn, noticing the blood covering his chest and trickling down his torso. She then turned her attention to Valter. "What have you done to him!?"

"I just had a little fun with him, 'tis all," Valter responded. "I needed to do _something_ while I waited for you. Now..."

He picked up his spear from against the tree, pointing it at the princess. "Shall we get started then? A duel to the death, just you and I. Make it last for me, will you?"

Eirika tensed up, but didn't draw her blade just yet. "Release him," she said calmly.

"Impossible," Valter smirked. "My plans with him will not end with you. With him as my hostage, I can lure in my targets like moths to a flame. Ah ha ha..."

Eirika glared at him, clencing her fists, and then she folded her arms. "I won't fight you until you let him go!"

That prompted a glare from Valter. Unfortunately, he had to comply with her term. It wasn't enough to simply kill her. He wanted her to _fight_.

"So _that's_ how it's going to be, is it? Very well then, you leave me no choice."

Kneeling down, he began to untie Saleh's feet from the trees. He then rose to slowly untie his wrists, one at a time. Saleh let out a silent breath of relief as he examined his wrists, rubbing the marks that the ropes had left on them.

In that moment, Valter flashed a wicked grin, and he swing his arm at Saleh, hitting the back of his head with the edge of his hand. The sage instantly dropped to the ground, where he lay unconscious.

"Master Saleh!" Eirika cried as she watched him fall. "Valter, why did you do that!?"

Valter continued with his grin. "I let him go as you ordered...but I can't have him leaving just yet. Nor can I have him helping you in this duel. As I said, this is to be between you and I. Understand?"

"Fine..." Eirika clenched her teeth as she drew her rapier. "I won't lose. I will save him!" And with that, she pointed her blade at Valter.

"That's more like it." Valter grinned as he pointed his spear at Eirika again.

Eirika stepped towards him carefully, debating on whether to make the first move. She then decided that because she still had the sack in her other hand, draped over her shoulder, she would let Valter attack first.

And attack first he did. Valter rushed forward, pulling his spear back and thrusting it forward towards her midriff. Eirika sidestepped it and continued forward, aiming a thrust from her rapier towards Valter's neck. Valter leaned his upper body to the side to avoid it, then corrected his own blunder by turning his spear, hitting Eirika's torso with the opposite end. As Eirika doubled over, Valter moved behind her, throwing a hard kick to her back. Eirika cried out as she stumbled forward, crashing on the ground near Saleh's unconscious body.

Valter spread his arms out. "Come now, Princess. Surely you can do better than that."

Eirika didn't respond to the taunt. Instead, she looked over at Saleh, hoping that he would wake up. Valter was stronger than she was, there was no question about it. She needed Saleh's help. Leaving the sack on the ground where it fell, Eirika stood up again, assuming her battle stance.

This time she took the initiative, dashing at Valter with a swing of her rapier towards his neck. Valter ducked to avoid it, then attempted to counter with a series of thrust aimed at various points of Eirika's body. Eirika sidestepped all of the attacks, swinging her rapier to parry the last thrust, causing the wyvern general to stumble to the side. He swung his lance overhead, bringing it down hard towards the princess, but she held her rapier horizontally to block it. Valter continued to push the spear down towards her. As much as Eirika fought to push it away, Valter's brute strength was far greater than hers. Realizing this, Eirika gave the rapier another hard push as she hopped away, gaining some distance between them to catch a breather.

_I have to remember what Ephraim told me,_ she thought.

Valter rushed at her again, pulling back his spear and aiming another thrust at her torso. At the last second, Eirika sidestepped the attack, and the spear was jammed into the tree behind her.

"Argh!" The wyvern knight cried out in frustration as he jerked on the spear, but was unable to remove it from the tree. Eirika waited for a brief moment, but then capitalized on the opportunity, rushing at him with a stab attempt at his side. But Valter wasn't stupid enough to lose focus on the battle. He hopped back to avoid the stab, letting Eirika double over as she crashed into the spear. As she straightened herself, Valter slammed his large hand down on top of her head, his fingers grasping it with an amazingly strong grip. He pulled her head down before pushing it outward, throwing the princess several feet away. Eirika hit the ground on her back again, momentarily stunned. Valter gripped his spear again, planted his right foot into the tree, and gave another hard jerk, successfully pulling it free.

At that moment, Saleh began to stir slightly. He rolled his head slowly, fingers curling, unknowingly grabbing a handful of leaves on the ground. Slowly, he opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the sunlight shining directly above him.

Saleh attempted to stand, only to feel the stinging on his chest, where Valter had carved him. He did manage to lift his head, his vision now clear enough to recognize Eirika pushing herself to her feet. Saleh dropped his head back on the ground and looked to his left, where Eirika's sack lay. Fortunately, it was in just the right position, open just enough for Saleh to see its contents – a Thunder tome and a healing staff. Keeping his body still, he reached out, weakly gripping the tome and dragging it towards him, while silently praising Eirika's wise thinking. Though for the moment, he was still in too much pain to stand.

Meanwhile, both Valter and Eirika were too focused on their battle to notice the sage coming around. Valter attempted another stab towards Eirika's midsection, but Eirika sidestepped it, parrying the lance with her rapier. She then whipped her blade up, giving Valter a swift cut on his cheek.

"Argh!" Valter stumbled back, wiping the blood from his face with his gauntlet. "You little wench! I'm going to make you bleed for that! Slowly and painfully." His grin quickly returned, though. "And I'm sure that will be a delight to watch."

"Your bloodlust knows no bounds, does it, Valter?" Eirika responded. "I'll put an end to that here and now!"

"That's what I like to hear. Such courage and tenacity." It was just one of the things that had intrigued Valter so much.

He moved in once again, swinging his lance towards her rapier. Eirika managed to block the initial attack, but Valter twirled his lance tightly around the blade. Eirika's wrist was twisted with the movement, causing the rapier to fly out of her hand, soaring over her head.

_Oh no...not again!_ Eirika cursed herself for falling for that trick again. Regardless, she quickly tried to compensate by grabbing Valter's lance and attempting to yank it out of his hands. But of course, Valter had the superior strength, so he easily maintained his grip.

Valter glanced at the rapier as it began to fall from the air behind Eirika. He dashed forward suddenly, pushing her backwards as she struggled to keep her grip on his lance. Just as planned. Valter let go with one hand, reaching up to catch the rapier as it fell. He then raised the lance, moving Eirika's arms up as he then thrust the rapier right through her torso. Eirika released the lance in favor of clutching her torso. Valter flashed his sadistic grin as he twisted the blade within her body before pulling it out swiftly. Eirika pulled back, still doubled over from her injury. As painful as it was to straighten herself, or even breathe, she managed to do so, just to give Valter a stern glare. Her last act of defiance before she toppled to the ground.

Meanwhile, from the ground where he had fallen, Saleh lifted his head just in time to witness Valter stabbing Eirika. His eyes went wide as he gasped within his mind. As he watched Eirika fall, he could feel the anger welling up within him. It was an anger that Saleh rarely felt. An anger he only felt towards true monsters, the ones in human form.

Suddenly, his physical pain meant nothing as Saleh rushed to his feet with his Thunder tome in his hand. He stopped at an optimal distance from Valter, not making a sound.

He shot his hand out, casting his spell. A powerful bolt of lightning, amplified by Saleh's own anger, crashed down, striking the wyvern general with a terrific boom.

"Urgh...gaaah!" Valter cried out as he was completely taken by surprise. The electricity ripped through his body, knocking him out cold. He fell to his knees before tipping face-first into the ground.

Saleh watched him carefully for a moment to see if Valter would get up. When it became apparent that he wouldn't do so, he looked farther ahead, where Eirika lay. Not wasting any time, Saleh ran to retrieve the staff from the bag, and then rushed to Eirika's side, crouching beside her. He lifted her head gently, looking into her eyes, which were closed for the moment.

"Princess Eirika? Can you hear me?"

He watched carefully for any sort of movement. The last thing he wanted was for her to die. It would be his fault, and he would never forgive himself if she died to rescue him.

"Princess! Open your eyes! Please!"

Eirika's eyes fluttered open slightly, and she stared up at him with a vacant expression.

That was all that Saleh needed. As long as she was alive, he could save her. He quickly raised the orb of his staff over her torso, emitting the soothing glow of his healing magic. Eirika's wounded flesh began to mend, and she felt the pain fading away, as if the injury had never happened. Eirika sat up, her eyes apologetic as she looked at Saleh, and then embraced him.

"Master Saleh..." Eirika was still breathing hard from her battle. "I'm so sorry..."

Saleh delicately returned the embrace. "No...I'm sorry. I'm the one who got myself captured. It was because of me..."

Eirika pulled back, looking at the cuts on Saleh's chest, reaching out to touch them gently. "Look at what he's done to you..."

Saleh took her wrist, because touching his chest caused an unpleasant sting. He then glanced at Valter, who still lay unconscious nearby.

"We should leave this place before he awakens," he said. "We may not be able to get away otherwise."

Eirika nodded. "You're right. Let's go."

They gathered up their belongings and then mounted Eirika's horse, which quickly galloped away.


End file.
